Analyst: Saudi Arabia Playing Hypocritical Role in Region

News ID: 114327 Service: Politics

August, 10, 2013 - 14:26

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Middle East analyst said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia is playing a hypocritical role in the region as it pursues consultations on Syria and at the same time fuels tension in the crisis-hit country.

“Saudi Arabia has always played paradoxical role in the region. It pursues consultations on Syria on one hand and resorts to violence and conflic on the other hand," Hassan Royvaran told Tasnim today.

Referring to the recent visit between Bandar Bin Sultan, Secretary General of the National Security Council and head of the Saudi Intelligence Agency and Russian President Vladimir Putin and their discussions on Syria, Royvaran said the visit was aimed at changing Russia's stance on Syria.

"But" he said "it is unlikely that Russia reaches a deal with the Saudi Arabia, because Riyadh has played a destructive role in the region,” Royvaran stated.

Meantime, a report by RT said that Moscow has said “no” to Saudi Arabia’s alleged proposal of a rich arms deal and protection of Russia’s gas interests in the Middle East in exchange for abandoning Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The proposal of $15bln in weapons contracts was allegedly made during the July 31 meeting between Putin and influential intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, RT reported.

Neither Moscow nor Riyadh has officially commented on the agenda of the talks, but a Thursday AFP report revealed new details of the negotiations.

According to an undisclosed European diplomat, Prince Bandar proposed the deal and told Putin that "whatever regime that comes after Assad” will be "completely" in Riyadh’s hands.

The Prince reportedly stated that if the deal was accepted, Saudi Arabia would not sign any contracts damaging Russian interests by allowing the Persian Gulf countries to transport its gas across Syria to Europe.

The terms included Moscow dropping its support of President Bashar Assad, as well as not opposing any future Security Council resolutions on Syria.

"President Putin listened politely to his interlocutor and let him know that his country would not change its strategy," a separate Arab diplomat said.